Biofísica Celular e do Desenvolvimento

Interesse da Investigação

Research at the Plant Development group is concerned with developing integrated models of cellular growth and morphogenesis using the pollen tube as a biological model, ion dynamics as an experimental paradigm and theoretical modeling as an integrative tool.
We have characterized novel ion channels involved in pollen tube growth and morphogenesis, by means of imaging, electrophysiology, genetics and molecular biology, and, furthermore, unravelled some of thegenetic and cellular mechanisms behind pollen tube guidance and fertilization in plants. Our group has provided novel insight into the transcriptional status of plant male gametes and its consequences for plant reproduction and improvement.
The members of the group have been pivotal in the strengthening of the imaging, transcriptomics and vibrating probe electrophysiology services of the IGC. We have several collaboration with theoretical, animal developmental, evo-devo and other groups at the IGC, apart form external collaborations with research groups on Portugal and abroad.

Membros do Grupo

Publicações

2008 - (2011).

Tavares B, PN Dias, TF Moura, JA Feijó and A Bicho (2011). Calcium Regulated Anion Channels from Pollen of Lilium longiflorum. New Phytologist (in press)

Michard, E., Lima, P.T., Portes, M.T., Borges, F.S., Silva, A.C., Carvalho, J.E., Liu, L.H., Gilliham, M, Obermeyer, G. and Feijó, J.A. (2011). Glutamate Receptors and D-serine modulate the Ca2+ signature and growth of pollen tubes. Science 332 :434-437, DOI:10.1126/science.1201101 Link

Boavida, L, Borges, FS, Becker, JD, Feijó, JA (2011). A spatial and temporal profile of gene expression during pollen-pistil interactions in Arabidopsis Plant Physiology 155 :2066–2080, DOI:10.1104/pp.110.169813

McCue AD, Cresti M, Feijó JA and Slotkin RK (2011). Cytoplasmic connection of sperm cells to the pollen vegetative cell nucleus: potential roles of the male germ unit revisited J. Exp.Bot. 62 :1621–1631, doi:10.1093/jxb/err032

Tavares B, Domingos P, Dias PN, Feijó JA and Bicho A (2011). The Essential Role of Anionic Transport in Plant Cells: The Pollen Tube as a case study J.Exp.Bot. 62 :2273-2298

Zhao Y, Yan A, Feijo JA, Furutani M, Takenawa T, Hwang I, Fu Y, Yang Z (2010). Phosphoinositides regulate clathrin-dependent endocytosis by at the tip of pollen tubes in Arabidopsis and Tobacco Plant Cell 22 :4031-4044, 10.1105/tpc.110.076760

Feijó JA (2010). The mathematics of sexual attraction Journal of Biology. 9 :18

Cheung, AY, Boavida L, Aggarwal M, Wu HM, Feijo JA (2010). The Pollen Tube Journey and Guidance to the Female Gametophyte J Exp Bot 61 :1907-1915,doi:10.1093/jxb/erq062

Prado, MP, Feijó, JA, Porterfield, MD (2010). Calcium dependent NO signaling in plant cell polarity and sexual reproduction.
S. Hayat, M. Mori, J. Pichtel, and I. Ahmad (eds.) WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheimin. pp. 31-50 Nitric Oxide in Plant Physiology

Lima PT, Faria VG, Patraquim P, Ramos AC, Feijó JA, Sucena E (2009). Plant-microbe symbioses: new insights into common roots BioEssays 31(11) :1233-1244

Cruz, C, Ramos, AC, Façanha, A, Feijó, JA and Martins-Loução, MA (2009). Enzyme activity modulated by AMF colonization: the urea cycle and membrane-bound phosphatase activities. In Varma A , Verma E (eds.) Microbes for human life, Springer-Verlag ch25 :10pp

Michard, E, Alves, RF and Feijó, JA (2009). The role of ion fluxes in polarized cell growth: the pollen tube as an experimental paradigm Int.J.Dev.Biol. 53 :1609-1622, doi: 10.1387/ijdb.072296em

Ramos, AC, Façanha, AR and Feijó, JA (2008). Ion dynamics during the polarized growth of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: from presymbiosis to symbiosis. In Varma, A (ed.), MYCORRHIZA: Structure Function and Biotechnology, Springer-Verlag (invited chapter) Heidelberg :pp.214-260

Slotkin, RK, Vaughn, M, Tanurdžić, M, Borges, FS, Becker, JD and Feijó, JA, Martienssen, RA (2008). Reactivation of transposable elements in the vegetative nucleus of pollen Cell 136 :461-472

Ramos, AC, Façanha, AR, Lima, PT and Feijó, JA (2008). pH signature for the responses of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to external stimuli Plant Signalling and Behaviour 3 :850-852

Ramos, AC, Lima, PT, Dias, PN, Kasuya, MCM and Feijó, JA (2008). A pH signaling mechanism involved in the spatial distribution of calcium and anion fluxes in ectomycorrhizal roots. The New Phytologist 181(2) :448-462

Cheung, AY, Dua, QH, Costa, SC, De Graaf, B, Di Stilio, VS and Feijó, JA, Wu, HM (2008). The Pollen Tube Cytoskeleton: Live Cell Studies. Molecular Plant 1 :686-702

Prado, AM, Colaço, R, Moreno, N, Silva, AM and Feijó, JA (2008). Targeting to ovules is dependent on nitric oxide signalling Molecular Plant 1 :703-714

Michard, E, Dias, P and Feijó, JA (2008). Tobacco pollen tubes as cellular models for ion dynamics: improved spatial and temporal resolution of extracellular flux and free cytosolic concentration of calcium and protons using pHluorin and YC3.1 CaMeleon. Sexual Plant Reproduction 3 :169-181 Link

Borges, F, Gomes, G, Gardner, R, Moreno, R, McCormick, S, Feijó, JA and Becker, JD (2008). Comparative Transcriptomics of Arabidopsis Sperm Cells Plant Physiology 148 :1168-1181

Ramos, AC, Martins, MA, Okorokova-Façanha, AL, Olivares, FL, Okorokov, LA, Sepúlveda, N, Feijó, JA and Façanha, AR (2008). Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi induce differential activation of the plasma membrane and vacuolar H+-pumps in maize root sytem. Mycorrhyza 19 :69-80

Ramos, AC, Façanha, AR and Feijó, JA. (2008). A H+ Ion Flux Signature for the Hyphal Asymbiotic Development of the Mycorrhizal Fungus Gigaspora margarita The New Phytologist 178(1) :177-188

Certal, AC, Almeida, RB, Wong, S, Moreno, N, Carneiro, J, Rodriguéz-Léon, J, Wu, HM, Cheung, AY and Feijó, JA. (2008). Exclusion of a proton ATPase from the apical membrane is associated with cell polarity and tip growth in Nicotiana tabacum pollen tubes. The Plant Cell 20(3) :614-634